Glossary
Earnings
The funding generated by delivery as recorded in the ILR, accrued as the year progresses.
In full
Earnings are what the submitted data has generated so far. They are recalculated at every return across the whole year, so they can move both up and down as data changes.
Reconciling earnings to the finance ledger monthly is what turns a year-end surprise into a manageable in-year conversation.
The rules behind this
Each ILR return is a complete restatement of the funding year to date, not an increment. Every return replaces the last, which is why an error introduced late can change earnings already reported.
Where this comes up
diagnostic
If the learner is earning below the earnings threshold, LDM 391 must be returned
For starts on or after 1st August 2024 for learners aged 24 at the start of the aim who are Adult Skills fund funded and the 'Level 3 Free Courses for Jobs' Learning LDM code 378 has been returned, the learner must be earning below the earnings threshold and recorded with LDM 391
diagnostic
The learner must be earning below the earnings threshold by returning LDM 391 or the learner's prior attainment must be below a full level 3
For starts on or after 1st August 2024, and the 'Level 3 Free Courses for Jobs' Learning Delivery Monitoring code has been returned for learners aged between 19 -23 at the start of the aim, then the learner must be earning below the earnings threshold or the learner's Prior Attainment is below a full level 3
scenario
Earnings fall sharply after a bulk data update
A bulk update is applied to a cohort and the next funding report shows a material fall. Where do you look?
diagnostic
An aim is on the ILR but generates no funding
The aim validates and appears on the ILR, but generates no earnings. Validation and funding are different tests: a record can be perfectly valid and still not qualify for funding.
diagnostic
An apprentice is on the ILR but is not generating any payments
The apprentice is not funding: they exist on the ILR and look correct, but no earnings are being generated for them. For apprenticeships starting from 1 August 2026 the provider enters the details once, on the ILR, and no payment is made until the employer approves them in their apprenticeship service account. For apprenticeships that started earlier, the ILR and the apprenticeship service must still match, so a difference between them stops payment.
diagnostic
Funding dropped this month and nobody can explain why
The funding report for this period shows less than expected, or less than last period. Because every return restates the whole year, a change made this month can move earnings reported in earlier months, so the drop may have nothing to do with this month's delivery.
Sources
These are the official documents this page rests on. Where a figure, a deadline or an exact rule matters, the document is the authority and this page is the explanation.
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